Refrigerator cabinet



June 16, 1931.

J. L.. KNIGHT REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed April 12, 1927 15%@ r'rweg.

Patented June 16, 1931 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES L. KNIGHT, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T GENERAL ELEUIRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK REFRIGERATOR CABINET Application iled April '12,

My invention relates to refrigerator cabinets and an object of my invention is the provision of an improved refrigerator cabinet which is simple, durable and thermally efficient.

It has been the practice heretofore to construct refrigerator cabinets having inner and outer metal wall members with a heavy framework extending between the wall members. In order to obtain the necessary rigidity of the cabinets the framework was of large cross-section which provided such a large path for the transfer of heat into the cabinets that under favorable conditions about onethird of the heat leakage into the cabinet was due to conduction through the framework. The portion of the framework adjacent the outer wall of the cabinet was reduced in temperature below the dew point of the surrounding air which caused considerable condensaytion of moisture thereon. The material of the framework was not impervious to moisture so that the moisture condensed thereon was absorbed to a large extent. This caused the heat conductivity of the framework to be greatly increased and caused warping thereof so that the doors of the cabinet no longer fitted the openings resulting in leakage of air into the cabinet. Paint, varnish 3o and other protective coatings were used on the framework to minimize the absorption of moisture, but this was not satisfactor as the condensation of moisture on the sur aces soon caused the coating to flake off, particu- 1927. Serial N0. 183,205.

extending between the inner and outer wall members to form a closure between them.

My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out 1n the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows by way of illustration an electric refrigerating machine having a cabinet embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken on line 2-T2 of Fig. l; Fig. Sis a similar view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 illustrates a modification.

The machine illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises the cabinet 1 and the refrigerating mechanism'2. The cabinet has an opening in the top covered by the door or cover 3 supporting the mechanism and has a side openin closed by the door 4. The cabinet including the doors I construct with inner and outer metallic casings or walls preferabl of steel, the inner casing 6 being spaced rom the outer casing 7 and the space filled with suitable heat insulating material 8, such for example as cork, which may be inserted in the form of built-up slabs or filled in loose. I have found that in refrigerator cabinets as commonly constructed a large proportion of the heat entering the cabinet is transmitted thereso into by the members forming the door edges y and the door jambs, apparently little attention having been given to this path of heat How. With a cabinet having metallic inner and outer walls the heattransfer is more pronounced than in cabinets having all wood walls inasmuch as the heat is more readily conducted to and away from the aforesaid door edge and jamb forming members by which it enters the cabinet. In my cabinet I reduce the amount of heat thus entering the cabinet by keeping the metal of the inner and outer walls separated at the door ed es and jambs or frames and connecting t e walls at those points by a wall member comprising thin strips of a suitable non-metallic non-hydroscopic material having poor heat conductivity which forms al closure for the space between the metal walls whereby they provide restricted paths for heat entering the4 100 y.thereof to the respective metallic walls cabinet at those points and resists deterioration by moisture. For this purpose I have found that resinous products are admirably well adapted, for in addition to having relatively low thermal conductivity they have a uniform composition, can be made in a variety of colors, whereby the necessity of ainting may be avoided, do not absorb or glve olf odors and have such strength that they can be used in thin sheets arranged in the direction of heat How thereby further reducing the amount of heat transferred. Among the resinous products I have found the glycerides and the phenolic resins, which it will be understood are used with any suitable filler material, or to'bind together thin lamina: of paper, fabric or the like forming a sheet of material, such for example as those known under the trade names Glyptal, Bakelite,

Textolite, etc. to be particularly well suited, for the present use in that being una'ected by moisture and heat changes, strips formed thereof do not swell or warp when 1n use.

The strips 9 are secured at opposite ed es y any suitable means such for example by the screws'lO which I have shown threaded into narrow inward flanges 11 of the metal walls, the strips forming in effect a continuous surface around the edge of the doors 3 and 4 and also constituting the door jamb as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 2 I have omitted the strip forming the jamb since this closure is intended to remain permanently closed. I have shown the strips forming the door j amb in Fig. 3 as substantially equal in width to the spacing of the inner and outer walls. The doors I have shown having a thin overhanging edge portion 12, the strips 9 in that case having a width a little less than the spacing of the two walls but approrimately equal thereto. Suitable gaskets 13 are provided against which the doors close. I may find it desirable principally for the sake of appearance to cover the corners of the door and door jambs, that is, where the strips 9 meet, with trimming such for example as thin strips of Monel metal which metal also has a low heat conductivity.

With the construction described above it is unnecessary to provide additional means for tying or securing together the inner and outer casings of the cabinet, the space between the casings being thus left free to be packed with the heat insulatin material. y

In the modificatlon shown in Fig. 4 I have shown in cross section a double door arrangement, the one door fitting against the other .vwhen in closed position. By this cpnstruction no central or intermediate post 1s necessary and as a result the number of path's by which heat is transferred into the cabinet at this point is reduced one half. Doors15 and 16 are hinged at 17 to the sides of the cabi-- net and are provided at opposite edges with 2. A refrigerator cabinet having a door comprising inner and outer spaced metallic walls, heat insulating material therebetween, the edge portion of said door consistin of thin strips of a resinous product secure at their opposite edges to the respective inner and outer walls and having a width approximately equal to the spacing of the walls.

3. refrigerator cabinet having a door andcomprising spaced inner andv outer metallic walls, said cabinet having a thin strip of a resinous product forming the connection between said inner and outer walls at said door.

4. A refrigerator cabinet having a door and comprising spaced inner and outer metallic casings, heat insulating material betwee-n said casings, an opening frame for said door formed of a thin stri of a resinous product secured at opposite e ges to the respective inner and outer casings.

5. A refrigerator cabinet having spaced metallic inner and outer walls, a door comprising two cooperating door members hinged at their outer edges and adapted to engage each other at their adjacent edges, an opening frame for said doors and the edge portions of said door members being formed of thin strips of a resinous product.

6. A refrigerator cabinet having inner and l outer metal walls spaced apart and provided with a. door opening, a frame for the door opening consisting of a thin non-hydroscopic non-metallic material having low heat conductivity and being impervious to moisture, said frame extending through the door opening and connecting said inner and outer walls to form a closure between them.

7 A refrigerator cabinet having inner and outer metal walls spaced apart and provided with a door opening, a. frame for the door opening consisting of a thin non-hydroscopic non-metallic material having low heatconductivity and being impervious to moisture,

said frame having flat surfaces extending through the door opening and connecting said inner and outer metal walls to form a closure between them.

8. A refrigerator cabinet having inner and outer metal walls spaced apart and provided with a door opening, said inner and outer walls having flanges about the door opening so" y and a frame for the door opening extending to form a closure for the space between said therethrough and consisting of a thin nonhydroscopic flat strip of non-metallic material impervious to moisture secured to said flanges, said strip being of low heat conductivity and connecting the flanges of said inner and outer walls to form a closure between them.

9. A refrigerator cabinet having inner and outer metal walls spaced apart and provided with a door opening, said inner and outer walls having flanges about the door opening, and a frame for the door opening consisting of flat thi-n strips of a resinous product secured to said flanges, said strip extending through the door opening.

10. A refrigerator cabinet having inner and outer metal walls spaced apart and provided with a door opening,A a door in said opening having inner and outer metal walls, frames for said door and door opening, each consisting of thin strips of non-hydroscopic non-metallic material having low heat conductivity, said frames extending through said door opening and being secured to said inner and outer walls of said cabinet and said door respectively.

11. A refrigerator cabinet having inner and outer metal walls spaced apart and provided with a door opening, a door in said opening having inner and outer metal walls, frames for said door and door opening, each consisting of flat thin strips of a resinous product secured to said metal. walls and extending through the door opening.

12. A refrigerator Wall construction having an inner metal Wall member, an outer Wall member spaced therefrom, and another Wall member of a non-metallic non-hydroscopic material having low heat conductivity and extending between the inner and outer wall members to form a closure for the space between said wall members.

13. A refrigerator wail construction having an inner metal wall member, an outer metal wall member spaced therefrom, and

metal walls.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th another wall member of a resinous product extending between thel inner and outer Wall members to form a closure for the space between said wall members.

14. A refrigerator cabinet having a door opening and a door therefor', said cabinet and door each having inner and outer metal walls, and other Walls of a non-metallic nonhydroscopic material of low heat conductivity, said other walls extending between the inner and outer metal walls of said cabinet and door respectively to form a closure.

for the space between said metal walls.

15. A refrigerator cabinet having a door opening and a door therefor, said cabinet and door each having inner and outer metal Walls, and other walls of a resinous product extending between the inner and outer metal walls of said cabinet and door respectively day of April, 1927.

JAMES L. KNIGHT.

lDISCLAIMEF? 1,810,615.-Ja1nes L. Kn'ighf, Schenectady, N. Y. REFRIGERATOR CABINET. Patent dated June 16, 193 Disclaimer filed May 2, 1936, by the assignee, General Eectc Company.

Hereb enters this disclaimer of claim 12 of said patent.

[oial Gazette May 26', 1.936.] 

